So in the meantime, Wiskowski's returned, Oliver's crippled Eric Embry and apparently the Army (in the form of the Destroyer) took out Lightfoot. Bonnema mentions how Rose took out Youngblood back in 77-78 again. As best as I can tell, this was set up by Youngblood winning a battle royal as Buddy had been dodging him. Oh man, Buddy prays in the corner before the match. For some reason I find that hilarious. He gets a ton of heat for it. He's blonde again too. Good for him. Buddy pushes him into the corner but Jay flips it around and starts unloading. I really like his standing double axe-handle but the crowd likes the jumping chop more. Buddy sells the migraine and escapes to the apron. Bonnema says he's the strawberry blonde playboy again and that he's basically ruled the roost for five years. When does he leave Portland? 85? That means he has an almost ten year run as a promotional Ace in a promotion with a weekly loop and that gives a lot away on TV.
Buddy's back in and immediately working a standing armbar, putting his whole body into it and wrenching away, hammering to cut off Youngblood's attempt to fight back. Youngblood's selling is strong here, as each attempt to punch back causes him agony and allows Rose to hang on, grab the hair and take back over. Youngblood finally creates some distance and but Buddy eyepokes to take back over. After a few chops, he moves Youngblood into the corner and uses the ropes to grind down on the arm. Jay fights back again, making sure to sell huge when he accidentally punches with the bad hand. The subsequent hesitation allows for Buddy to get a cheapshot kick in and start to dismantle Youngblood again.
The adrenaline finally kicks in and Youngblood starts to comeback, shrugging off the pain from the hand. His selling has been so broad up until now that it's weirdly acceptable because you know it was by design. He's not just randomly forgetting to sell to get his stuff in. It's part of the story. Buddy turns it around midway through the comeback and they start a big rope running sequence that ends with Buddy trying to go for the Robinson backbreaker but Youngblood riding through, rolling him up off the ropes, and bridging back to win the first fall. This wasn't spaced out exactly as I would have wanted but what they actually did do was all well done and the fans loved the finish.
Second fall starts with Youngblood getting revenge on Buddy's left arm. There's only 7 minutes remaining here. Jay steps over and straddles the arm bar and really works it, waving it back and forth and jumping on it. He does two of the nicer looking legdrops onto an arm that you'll see and then starts hammering again. Buddy whiffs and gets wrenched more and pumphandled for his trouble. Jay's showing a fairly huge variety of nice looking armwork here. Buddy tries to fight back again but he gets tomahawk chopped and his arm clotheslined over the top for his trouble. Jay's in complete control here. Jay works a top wristlock and Buddy's facial expressions are great as ever.
Buddy finally knees Youngblood out of the ring but Jay immediately grabs Buddy's arm on the apron and drags him to the pole, wrapping it around it. Buddy still manages to catch Jay coming in and in a beautiful exchange, he tries to replicate the roll up off the ropes that lost him the first fall. Jay rolls through, does a double leg trip from behind and drops an elbow on the arm. Great sequence. Jay starts clubbering the arm. Buddy tosses him off but gets put into a backslide off the ropes and this might be as excited I've heard Bonnema for a two count. Jay goes back to the armbar base, and Buddy is selling all over the ring. He clotheslines the arm over the top rope again, then goes up. Buddy tries to give him the old Flair throw off the top but Jay hangs on and rolls through for a nearfall. They're definitely pulling out some novel stuff here.
Jay hits a doublechop and Buddy sloooooowly falls backwards. He's selling as if he's been through a war. Two-count, followed by another chop off the ropes for another two. The crowd is really hot for this. Buddy catches Jay with his legs as he bends over to pick him up, but can't roll him over and eats another two count. Another chop to the head. Buddy's late match selling here is awesome. He's selling the arm. He's selling the whole body. He finally hits the ground and at the announcement that there's a minute left, he starts to desperately jog around the ring, in and out to break the count, to stall the time limit out. What a dick! This might be the first time in Portland that I'd be worried about a riot. They call Jay the winner since he won the only fall and Buddy thinks he's going to keep the belt, but Barr goes into business for himself (and prevents the riot), by holding the belt up and making it so next Saturday Rose is going to have to win two straight falls as the match will continue. Yeah, I think I would have bought a ticket for that. Great promotional idea and the match itself was really good. I wish that Jay hadn't totally given up on the arm selling after the first fall but the story sort of shifted from arm selling to revenge arm work so I'm not going to complain too much.
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